Ram Vilas Paswan says he divorced first wife Rajkumari Devi in 1981

Patna: LJP chief Ram Vilas Paswan disclosed for the first time that he divorced his first wife in 1981 after Bihar’s ruling JD-U challenged his nomination affidavit over his marital status.

Paswan is contesting the Lok Sabha election from his traditional Hajipur seat in Bihar. He has joined hands with the BJP in the state and his party, the Lok Janshakti Party (LJP), is contesting seven seats.

JD-U leader Kanhaiya Prasad Singh, election agent of JD-U candidate and sitting MP from Hajipur Ram Sundar Das who is seeking re-election, raised the issue that Paswan did not mention the name of his first wife Rajkumari Devi in his affidavit.

However, Paswan’s lawyers produced documents before the district electoral officer Vinod Singh Gunjiyal related to the divorce with his first wife in 1981.

Last week, JD-U leaders questioned Paswan over his marital status.

Paswan made no mention of his first wife, Rajkumari, whom he married in the 1960s and she was still his wife when he became MP for the first time in 1977.

Like in the past, this time too Paswan mentioned the name of his second wife Reena who hails from Haryana and whom he married in 1983. Their son, Chirag, is now in politics and is contesting from Jamui.

Paswan has two daughters — Usha and Asha — from his first wife. Both are married.

Incidentally, in his nomination papers he mentioned that he has three daughters and one son but did not mention that the children are from two wives.